Grand dame of Minnesota apples was 99
Home from the war and working in a Winona print shop, Gil Courtier was restless. He wanted to work outdoors.
His father-in-law suggested he plant apple trees on family-owner property in the heights above Lake Pepin near Lake City.
In the spring of 1949 Gil and his wife Evelyn planted their first trees. They grew into the largest commercial orchard of Minnesota, accounting for 20 percent of the state’s annual apple production.
Evelyn Courtier, the grand dame of Minnesota apples, died peacefully on Friday.
Want to read the full article? Full access to lakecitygraphic.com is only $52 per year. Print subscriptions are $58 for Wabasha and Goodhue county residents and $80 anywhere else in the continental U.S. To begin, click here. Already a subscriber? Log in or request an account below.
